When we were introduced to the Eternals in the Eternals movie, one of the things we found out was the fact that every Eternal has a specific role on the team. Some of them were given powers that were better off for support, while the others were more combat-oriented. Two of the strongest combat-oriented Eternals were Ikaris and Gilgamesh. But which Eternal is stronger?
Ikaris is the stronger of the two Eternals because of the very fact that he has more powers and capabilities at his disposal. It might be true that Gilgamesh is physically the strongest Eternal and is better than Ikaris in close combat. But Ikaris has the advantage in maneuverability and range thanks to his powers.
There is a reason why most of the Eternals look at Ikaris as the strongest out of all of them. He has a lot of different powers and gifts that allow him to take on multiple members of the Eternals all at once. And that means that, in a fight against Gilgamesh, there is also a good possibility that he would win but in a very close battle.
Physical Capabilities
Ikaris, like all of the other Eternals, has augmented physiology in the sense that he is far stronger, faster, and more durable than ordinary humans. He has the capability to survive attacks that would have been fatal for humans. On top of that, he is also quite strong and is probably on par with the other combat-oriented Eternals in terms of what he can do with his physical strength. This means that he is basically a perfect specimen both in terms of his powers and physical capabilities.
Out of all of the Eternals, Gilgamesh is by far the strongest in terms of what he can do physically. He has been shown toying around with large Deviants and even killed the largest Deviant shown on the film with just one slap. He also has all of the other physical attributes of an Eternal in the sense that he has augmented physiology that allows him to be faster and more durable than ordinary humans. However, Gilgamesh’s physical strength is leagues ahead of the other Eternals.
Given the fact that Gilgamesh is physically the strongest out of all of the Eternals, there is no arguing that he takes the cake here. He basically has all of Ikaris’ physical attributes but is probably several times stronger than him. And this is why we give him this round.
Points: Ikaris 0, Gilgamesh 1
Powers
Ikaris is the Eternal that has more powers than the others because of the fact that he can both fly and shoot cosmic beams out of his eyes. Some of the other Eternals, although powerful, are only capable of commanding one power. But Ikaris has more powers than the other members of his family, and that makes him a formidable combat-oriented Eternal. As such, given the fact that Ikaris can fly, shoot lasers out of his eyes, and has super strength, you can think of him as a Marvel version of Superman.
As strong as Gilgamesh is, he becomes even stronger thanks to how his powers were meant to complement his superior physical strength. He is capable of using cosmic energy to manifest an exoskeleton that is capable of attacking as a shield and a weapon whenever he is fighting. The exoskeleton augments his already impressive physical gifts, and that means that he is capable of taking anybody in a one-on-one close-combat fight with his fists.
Even though Gilgamesh’s powers complement his ability to fight with his fists and brute strength, Ikaris has more powers under his command. After all, Ikaris is the only one capable of flight. And the cosmic laser beams he shoots out of his eyes are no joke because they can easily take out a Deviant with one hit.
Points: Ikaris 1, Gilgamesh 1
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Ikaris is one of the five Eternals who have combat-oriented powers. On top of that, he is also gifted with the ability to fight hand to hand whenever there is a need for him to do so. As such, he doesn’t always rely on his ability to shoot cosmic laser beams out of his eyes because, using his ability to maneuver in the air and his skills and strengths as a fighter, he can fight hand to hand.
Out of all of the Eternals, Gilgamesh is probably the best when it comes to close combat because his superior strength and powers are well-suited for hand-to-one fights. This is why you would want him on the frontlines whenever you are in a fight, as he can tank hits and dish them out as well. On top of that, he was shown to be the best out of all of the Eternals when it comes to pure hand-to-hand combat.
Hand-to-hand combat is probably the area where Gilgamesh can easily beat any other Eternal because he was basically created for this purpose. His strength and powers are best suited for close-quarter combat, and that is why he wins this round.
Points: Ikaris 1, Gilgamesh 2
Experience
Like all of the other Eternals, Ikaris has thousands of years of experience under his belt. He has fought a lot of different Deviants and has killed them quite easily with his laser beams. Of course, as one of the strongest members of the Eternals, he has probably been sent out to battle Deviants more times than most of the other Eternals.
Gilgamesh is also a battle-hardened warrior that spent thousands of years battling Deviants. On top of that, he might have also spent hundreds of years fighting with Thena as her caretaker whenever she had episodes of mahd wy’ry. This means that he is just as experienced as any other Eternal when it comes to battle.
We cannot really say who between Ikaris and Gilgamesh is the more experienced fighter because they may have been in as many battles as any other Eternal. That is why this round is a stalemate between the two warriors.
Points: Ikaris 1, Gilgamesh 2
Versatility
Probably the reason why Ikaris is often considered the strongest out of all of the Eternals is the fact that he is the most versatile when it comes to combat. Some of the other Eternals are better off fighting specialized battles that are suited for their area of expertise. But Ikaris can do it all whether you are talking about ranged battles, aerial battles, or close-combat battles. His powers make him a well-rounded fighter.
Gilgamesh is a fighter that is better suited for close combat because his powers are tailor-fit for one-on-one ground fights. He is not as versatile as some of the other Eternals because he doesn’t have the range of abilities that they have. As such, versatility is not Gilgamesh’s strongest suit, even though he was built to be able to attack and defend thanks to his powers.
There is no arguing against the fact that Ikaris is by far the most versatile fighter on the Eternals. He has the powers and abilities that allow him to dominate any kind of battlefield. And that is why he takes this round.
Points: Ikaris 2, Gilgamesh 2
Feats
In terms of his feats, Ikaris was able to destroy a lot of different Deviants by relying on his versatile powers. He may have struggled against Kro, who is more suited for an Eternal that excels in close combat, but Ikaris has been able to dispatch other Deviants with ease and with a single shot. On top of that, at the end of the movie, he was able to hold his own against all of the other surviving members of the Eternals, minus Kingo and Sprite.
Meanwhile, Gilgamesh is no slouch when it comes to his feats. We saw him basically slapping the life out of a Deviant during the early parts of the film. On top of that, out of all of the Eternals, he was able to fight on par with Thena, who is probably the best Eternal when it comes to combat skills. And while Gilgamesh was eventually defeated by Kro, he did put up a better fight than Ikaris.
In terms of their feats, both Ikaris and Gilgamesh are very close. However, the fact that Ikaris was able to take on Sersi, Phastos, Makkari, Druig, and Thena all on his own makes him the more accomplished Eternal.
Points: Ikaris 3, Gilgamesh 2
Ikaris vs. Gilgamesh: Who Wins?
This battle is actually closer than some people would think because both Ikaris and Gilgamesh are very strong in their own right. However, the fact that Ikaris has more powers and is the more versatile of the two makes him the stronger of the two Eternals. But he takes this battle ever so slightly and with a very slim margin because we know that Gilgamesh can still give him a run for his money.
